Community activists to hold poverty forum from Oct 12-17

 

In conjunction with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Gabungan Marhaen is organising a five-day-long festival of forums called Himpunan Marhaen.

“This is an avenue for grassroots groups to come together to give their version of the issues they face during this pandemic.

“For more than a year, grassroots communities have faced a lot of hardships, so this forum is to highlight those issues, as well as (to) see them as important players in Malaysian politics,” said PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan (above), who is one of the organisers of the festival, at a press conference today.

Arutchelvan said the dominance of “race, religion and power-grab” in national politics often overshadowed the voices and work done by grassroots activists and communities.

Arts practitioner and moderator Rosheen Fatima said the forums held during the festival would highlight several issues, such as affordable housing, the protection of workers in the gig economy and food security issues faced by farmers, among other things.

Formed in 2017, Gabungan Marhaen is a coalition of grassroots communities, community and union collectives, like-minded NGOs, grassroots communities' leaders and activists.

The coalition aims to incorporate and strengthen all marhaen (marginalised) communities into work plans and activities.

Its members include the Government Contract Workers Network (JPKK), the Farm Worker Support Committee (JSML), the Urban Settlers and Housing Coalition (GPBP), the Low-Cost Flat Committee, the Farmers Coalition, Orang Asli/Asal communities, the Environmental Coalition and informal sectors workers, among others.

Online gatherings

In a statement released in conjunction with the press conference, the coalition said throughout 2019, it had established and reactivated many grassroots networks and submitted demands to the government.

However, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2020 and the political upset caused by the Sheraton Move had made it harder for the groups’ efforts to bring attention to its demands.

Arutchelvan said given the political uncertainty that has marred the country, he felt that it is the right time for the rakyat and grassroots movements to put forward their issues.

Himpunan Marhaen will take place from Oct 12 to 17 in the form of online gatherings with changing thematic issues every day of the week.

The coalition reported that as of Oct 4, 160 individuals had registered to attend the festival thus far.

Those interested in attending the assembly of forums can sign up here. - Mkini